Stinging jellyfish - Portuguese man of war!

In Australia and New Zealand, this jellyfish is known as the blue bottle, due to its colour and shape when strewn on a beach. Elsewhere in the world it is known as the "Portuguese Man o War" as it is said to look like a Portuguese battleship with a sail.

The jellyfish is actually made up of tiny organisms called zooids. Each zooid has a role and together they function as if it were an animal. For example a number of zooids will make up the stinging tentacles, others will make up the feeding tentacles, etcetera.

The blue bottle feeds on small fish and other small ocean creatures.

When a tentacle wraps around human skin small barbs release a toxin and the more you rub the more is released. It's better to wash the area and put a cold pack on. No one has died of the sting in NZ

Apparently the tentacles can reach up to 10m in length and are very hard to see in the surf. they come ashore blown by the wind when the water is warmer - just when you might want to swim!!